Police must pay brothers R160 000
Johannesburg - A tale of three brothers, who were
falsely accused by their stepmother of stealing money from her, unfolded in the
North Gauteng High Court, resulting in the police being ordered to pay two of
them R80 000 each in damages.
KgaugeloTjatji, now 22, and his younger brother,
Tshepo, now 20, instituted a damages claim against the police following their
ordeal four years ago when they were assaulted by the police in eMalahleni, and
had to endure a harrowing few hours in police cells at the hands of fellow
inmates and the police.
The two, who were 18 and 16 at the time, described
how they still had nightmares about their little brother, who was 10 at the
time, shouting and crying over and over while in a cell that he knew nothing
about the stolen R2 500 as claimed by their stepmother.
Kgaugelo said they were terrified of being raped in
the overcrowded cell and had to endure humiliating and terrifying moments at
the hands of their fellow inmates, and the police did nothing to protect them.
Kgaugelo said soon after being accused of stealing
the money, a police officer identified in court papers only as Detective Ratau,
came to their home.
He gave them the choice to “either kill themselves
by jumping off a bridge or walking on the freeway, move out of their
stepmother’s home or to tell the truth”.
The police did not defend the allegations against
them and Judge Selby Baqwa ruled that the police minister pay the damages.
Pretoria News
